Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Obscured By Clouds - Chapter 1: New Acquaintances

Cornelius Allan was dozing in the afternoon sun on
a late summer afternoon when he was disturbed by musical voices apparently
coming from behind a hedge about 50 ft away to his left in the field wherein he
had stopped to rest. Cornelius Allan felt
quite annoyed that his afternoon snooze had been disrupted and got up,
intending to investigate.

As he did so the music stopped abruptly. Now he heard voices from the road on
the other side of the field. He turned to look and saw two unusual people
coming up the well-trod road. The first was a large homely man, some 6 feet 6
inches tall, who was very ugly and had a misshapen body with huge shoulders and
an impressive hunch back. He led a donkey which carried his few possessions and
had a quarterstaff. He looked strong and healthy despite his
disfigurement. He looked friendly. The woman with him was 5 feet 10
inches tall and about 180 pounds, full figured, a little stocky, with black
hair and eyes. She appeared to be about 30 years old, and would fit into the
peasant stock in any village. She carried, easily, a back pack. She looked
suspiciously at Cornelius Allan.

He got the impression it would not be wise to cross her. He noticed that she
seemed to be sniffing in his direction and tested the air often.

The tall hunchback introduced himself': "I am Brazi
Tadani, a carter and animal handler. This is my friend and companion, Katlin
Kloot. We are traveling south from the city near here, seeking to find a new
place to settle down. Kate is shy, but she will be a good friend to have if you
prove worthy. We are simple folk and have no quarrel with any that do not try
to harm us. Perhaps we could travel on together. There is strength in numbers
and I have known there to be bandits and brigands on the roads around these
parts. Moments ago I thought I heard music. Did you notice any such thing,
sir?"

The young man was quick to reply. "Hello Brazi
Tadani, I am Cornelius Allan, a humble elven wizard from Khosht. Why yes, I did
hear music from over there, a moment ago. Do you want to go and check it out?”

As Cormelius Allan made his introduction, the music began again in the distance
and three spherical objects came flying over the hedge, smoke pouring out of
them as they came. Cornelius Allan and Brazi reacted quickly and nimbly,
leaping out of the path of the smoking balls. Katlin was not so fast to respond
to the potential danger - she twisted desperately but found herself engulfed by
a rapidly billowing brown cloud of smoke. This was compounded when Brazi's
staff smashed down violently on one of the globes, shattering it and releasing
its entire contents of smouldering incense.

Cornelius was quite safe at that moment but the fog threatened to engulf Brazi,
just as it was doing to Katlin. Her eyes teared up and she started spluttering
as she dropped to the hard surface of the road as her protective friend suggested.
There was no odour to the brown gaseous substance. The music grew louder and
faster, instantly penetrating the inner ears of the three travellers.

Of the three travellers, only Katlin was able to make any
sense of the music. It codified itself slowly within her comprehension. The musical
vibrations ceased to be music but transformed instead into a language just
barely comprehensible to the woman. She perceived a broken string of
words...'...from above...no harm...must trust...need help...strong friends...be
still...be still...coming now...gentle...'

Then the voices stopped and the music did not replace it.

In
light of what she has just heard, Kate calmed a little, and called after Brazi:
" Wait, my love! Do not harm it. It wants help." Her voice was odd
sounding, like she was having trouble with human language. Brazi's keen ears
heard her though and he slowed his rush and took a somewhat less aggressive
stance. He was still prepared to try and brain the unseen assailant if it
attacked him again.

At Kate's words, the prison around her and Cornelius
evaporated just as quickly as it had formed. Brazi could see them both once
more and could tell they were unharmed. Everyone, excepting the donkey, had now
breathed in some of the smoke. Not much but it was sufficient. When the music
resumed all three of the travellers could make out the words Kate first
comprehended as they were repeated as a broken string of words...'...from
above...no harm...must trust...need help...strong friends...be still...be
still...coming now...gentle...'

Six winged being floated without moving their wings over the hedge. They all
seemed to be female and have an ethereal, ghostly beauty. There was sadness in
their eyes. These creatures were about 3 feettall and were dressed in gossamer blue tunics coming down to just above
their knees. The tunics had seemingly random white swirls amidst the cerulean
blue and these white patches could be observed to slowly move within the blue.
All six were linked through holding hands and the outer two seemed to be
offering their hands to Kate and to Cornelius.

Katlin came cautiously forward and offered her hand.
Brazi put down his quarterstaff and joined her, taking her other hand. He offered
his free hand to Cornelius. His hump had settled down now. He watched the six strange
beings carefully, but offered no thoughts of malice or treachery to them.
Caring now, but cautious, he wanted to know what is going on. Cornelius Allan took
the hand Brazi offered and asked out loud 'What is going on? What do you want?'